BlackBerry Offers A Sharp, funny, And Somber Tale About A Forgotten Device
Playing as an R-rated companion to The Social Network, BlackBerry is an energetic, suspense-filled ride. The story of the creation of the BlackBerry is embroiled with as much rivalry and screaming as you can shake an all-capped text message at. The world of the nerds meets the hard-boiled businessmen to create a device that forever changed how we reach out to each other. As Arthur C Clark puts it during the film's opening moments, "Men will no longer commute; they will communicate."
Much of Matt Johnson's BlackBerry is a tale of triumph that depicts a time when the BlackBerry changed the world before the iPhone conquered the mobile market. We text today thanks to the device that was once called "Crackberry." The birth of the text message isn't the iPhone but rather its predecessor; this is that story. How dramatized it is doesn't matter, nor did it for The Social Network. Film isn't about the facts; it's about feelings. And the emotion BlackBerry is trying to sell is tension.
The movie has a pseudo-documentary style where the camera isn't mounted by tripods or stabilizers but is shot by hand with jerky zooms that looks like an episode of The Office. The difference here is nobody is being interviewed on camera. The audience plays the role of a fly on the wall watching private business meetings grow increasingly hostile.
The story begins with Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his friend Doug (Matt Johnson), who also directs the film, running a company with their nerd friends that eventually creates the text message. The office Mike and Dough share is a rusty building ideal for a classroom, not an office space. The friends have a further dilemma; they have no business expertise to properly market their product. The only way they'll break through is to reach an outside party. Thus they approached someone from a high-profile marketing company called Sutherland Shultz (S-S) to pitch their product.
Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) is an extremely hostile individual who casually swears at people and belittles everyone around him. And lucky for Mike and Doug, he's the guy they have to pitch their device to. Although the pitch is a disaster. Jim later reaches out to help run BlackBerry. The sudden judgment feels awkward and rushed initially. One moment Jim could care less about two nerds in his office. Next scene, we know he wants to acquire the company. Later we find out why he did that.
With Jim's tenaciousness and expertise compiled with Mike's scientific mind, the BlackBerry entered the market. The story sounds dull on paper, but with a brisk pace and enough F-bombs from Glen Howerton to satisfy Martin Scorsese, the film is a hilarious triumph. BlackBerry is a comedy about something that really happened. When you're covering Dennis Reynolds from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia with an obvious bald cap, the film is telegraphing that it's a dramatization, not meant to be taken entirely seriously. The white wigs to make Jay Baruchel look older than he is doesn't look believable either. It's a small complaint as it doesn't distract from an intelligent story that shares something in common with Tetris. They're movies about large companies' success stories and the sacrifices that had to be made so they could thrive.
The difference between most big company success stories is this is a rise-and-fall tale. Our heroes become a business sensation, but soon everything comes tumbling down, exposing the most empathetic side of the story. BlackBerry moves quickly with sharp and funny dialogue, if not somewhat cruel to the bald population. For some reason, every bald man in the movie is perceived as a short-tempered corporate jerk.
BlackBerry is about a bunch of nerds who became millionaires. It's no spoiler to reveal that the BlackBerry doesn't exist anymore. Its downfall is when the film's heart beats its brightest with Jay Baruchel's heartbreaking performance that excels beyond the fake white-haired wig placed on his head. The BlackBerry was built to work but not last.
How its market deterioration affects the cast is equally satisfying and saddening. To see those hurt who deserve it (like Jim Balsillie) is gratifying. But when it affects Mike Lazaridis, the film turns tragic. By the end of BlackBerry, everyone is in anguish. The world was ready for the iPhone when the BlackBerry wasn't.
My soul ached for Mike when the downfall of the BlackBerry came. Jay Baruchel plays a sensitive protagonist who can't handle the heat when the fire strikes him. It's like watching a man burn alive during a pitch meeting. When things go south, they don't turn back, ending the film on a sad note countering its comedy. Although comedic, the film never feels like it's reaching for jokes. BlackBerry is a serious story with humor sprinkled in. Neither entirely serious nor entirely comedic, Director/Star Matt Johnsons's BlackBerry is a delicate balance of emotions that's fast, witty, and a tragic history lesson in the creation of something we use every day.
BlackBerry was screened for The Chicago Critics Film Festival on May 5. It's scheduled to open May 12 in select theaters.
